Azalea hybrid `Billie Dee`

ABSTRACT

The new plant is a hybrid evergreen azalea having a compact, dense branching and symmetrical form and a prolific blooming habit. Flowers appear in clusters of five to ten. The blossoms are of single form with a diameter of about 6.4 to 7.6 cm and have pale lilac centers bordered with rose-purple lobes. The plant blooms mid-February through mid-April in southern California.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of evergreenazalea of the genus Rhododendron and a member of the Ericaceae family.This new variety of azalea plant is the result of a breeding program.The principal objectives of this breeding program were to produce newvarieties of evergreen azaleas which are floriferous, compact, vigorous,and easy to propagate using vegetative cuttings.

The specific parentage of the new variety is unknown because no recordswere kept of the crosses that resulted in the new plant. The breedingprogram incorporated the use of 47 varieties of evergreen azaleas fromseven hybrid groups that were grown at the Mossholder Nurseries in LaHabra, Calif.

    ______________________________________                                        Hybrid Groups Used in the Breeding Program                                                     # of Cultivars                                               ______________________________________                                        Belgian Indian Hybrids                                                                           25                                                         Coolidge Hybrids   3                                                          Mossholder-Bristow Hybrids                                                                       11                                                         Pericat Hybrids    2                                                          Rutherford Hybrids 2                                                          Southern Indian Hybrids                                                                          1                                                          Kurume Hybrids     3                                                          ______________________________________                                    

`Billie Dee` most closely resembles the Satsuki group of hybrid azaleas.

This new hybrid has the following combination of characteristics whichdistinguish it from other varieties.

1. Flower color pattern, form and season of bloom. The blooms have palelilac centers bordered with rose purple lobes. The plant has single 6.4to 7.6 cm blooms which occur mid season (February-April) in southernCalifornia.

2. Plant form and vigor. The plant is naturally compact and veryvigorous.

3. Ease of vegetative propagation. The new hybrid has been reproducedthousands of times by cuttings at Hines Nurseries in Irvine, Calif. Eachof the progeny exhibit characteristics identical to the original motherplant, establishing the hybrid as reproducible and true to type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 is a closeup of a flower cluster of azalea `Billie Dee`demonstrating the color pattern and size.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the overall appearance showing thenaturally compact growth habit and prolific blooming habit.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of a nearly mature 9 year old plant that has justpassed the blooming stage.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a description of the new hybrid azalea plant. Colordeterminations and comparisons are all based on the Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart.

Origin: Hybrid seedling.

Parentage: Unknown.

Classification: Hybrid.

Form: Globose and compact. Dense, twiggy branching. Symmetrical. Branchpositions are whorled.

Growth: Active, strong rapid growth on the plant's own rootstock(vigorous). Estimated annual terminal growth averages about 15 cm.

Size: Height of a 9 year old plant in a #15 container reached 81.5 cm(32 inches) with a width of 109 cm (43 inches). The estimated height fora mature plant (older than 10 years) is 90 cm with an approximate widthof 120 cm.

Blooming habit: Prolific.

Blooming period: Blooms appear in mid-February and continue throughmid-April in Irvine, Calif.

Disease resistance: Normal, as determined by comparison with otherazalea varieties grown under the same cultural conditions at Irvine,Calif.

Hardiness: Minimum temperature for `Billie Dee` is normally about -7° to-1° C. (20° to 30° F.). Minor frost damage occurred to newly formedfoliage and flower buds on Feb. 14, 1990 in Irvine, Calif. when thetemperature dropped to -3.3° C. (26° F.). The plant has not been testedfor maximum cold hardiness.

FOLIAGE

Arrangement: Alternate.

Type: Evergreen.

Shape: Oblanceolate to obovate, broadly acute to obtuse, cuneate, flat.

Size:

Average length of mature foliage (from petiole to leaf apex).--5.4 cm.

Average width of mature foliage.--2.7 cm.

Color:

Upper surface.--Fan 3, Yellow-Green Group No. 139A.

Lower surface.--Fan 3, Yellow-Green Group No. 146B.

Margins: Entire, ciliate.

Texture: Coarse and glossy.

Immature leaves.--Sericeous, indumentum color Orange-White Group No.159B.

Mature leaves.--Strigose, indumentum color Orange-White Group No. 159C.

Petiole: Average length 0.5 cm. Sericeous, coppery brown colorYellow-Green Group No. 144B, C.

Buds: Elliptic, color Yellow-Green Group No. 144A. Buds are covered withcopper brown sericeous hairs, color Grey-Yellow Group No. 161B, C.

Stems:

Immature growth.--Color Yellow-Green Group No. 146C with sericeous tostrigose hairs ranging in color from Grey-Orange Group No. 164D toOrange-White Group No. 159D.

Mature growth.--Color Grey-Orange Group No. 164A with whitish to copperbrown strigose hairs ranging in color from Orange-White Group No. 159Ato Grey-Orange Group No. 165A.

INFLORESCENSE

Blooming period: Mid-February through mid-April at Irvine, Calif.

Inflorescense: Complete and perfect.

Borne: In clusters of five to ten.

Petalage: Five lobes fused at base. Rounded shape, undulate margins,soft and satiny texture.

Form: Single, openly funnel shaped.

Size: Medium, 6.4 to 7.6 cm in diameter and 3.5 to 4.5 cm in length.

Pedicel: Length 0.9 cm; color Yellow-Green Group No. 145C withoccasional pink blushing and whitish sericeous hairs color Orange-WhiteGroup No. 159A.

Color:

Petal surface.--Corolla tube color is Red-Purple Group No. 69B; frompetal edge for about 1.3 to 2.0 cm are Fan 2, Red-Purple Group No. 72C.Approximately 37% to 44% of the corolla area is the darker color. Thedots on the standard petal are color Red-Purple Group No. 67B.

Persistence: Petals hang and dry. Color turns to various shades ofred-purple to brown and discolors with age.

Calyx: Persistent, ovate, valvate with length averaging 0.5 cm. ColorYellow-Green Group 145A with sericeous whitish hairs.

Flower buds: Buds were observed and measured at an approximate age oftwo weeks when still tight. They were elliptic and medium acute in shapewith a length of 3 cm and width of 0.5 cm. The color is notsignificantly different from the color of the open flowers except thatthe petal margins appear to be a slightly darker shade of red-purple.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens: Stamens have Grey-Orange Group No. 165B color anthers andOrange-White Group No. 159A filaments, varying slightly dependent onmaturity. White pollen present but not tested for viability.

Pistils: Single pistil with average length of 3.8 cm, equal to or longerthan petal length, almost twice as long as stamens. Immature style isRed Group No. 54A with Red Group No. 52A stigma. Mature style is RedGroup No. 53C, D with Red Group No. 53A stigma.

Ovary: Five locules within a hypogynous ovary enclosed by a sericeousovary wall. Seed observed but not tested for viability.

DESCRIPTIONS OF MOST SIMILAR KNOWN AZALEA CULTIVARS

Azalea `Billie Dee` has lilac centered blossoms which are bordered withrose purple margins. The plant blooms in mid-season in southernCalifornia and has single blossoms 6.4 to 7.6 cm in diameter. Thefollowing five cultivars are the most similar that the applicant isaware of in the nursery trade. The first three of these are possibleancestors.

`Desert Rose`: Single, strong pink, lighter throat, red flecks, frilled,9 to 10 cm diameter blossoms. Blooms early to mid season.

`Easter Bonnet`: Single, purplish pink, white throat and greenishflecks, 7.6 cm in diameter. Blooms in late season.

`Professor Wolters`: Single, salmon rose edged white. Large 10 cmdiameter blossoms. Blooms late season.

These Satsuki Hybrids are also somewhat similar.

`Geisha Girl`: Single, white center bordered rose red, round petals,medium sized, late season bloomer.

`Shinyo-No-Tsuki`: Single, purplish red with white center, late seasonbloomer.

I claim:
 1. A new variety of hybrid evergreen azalea characterized by acompact, dense branching and symmetrical form and a prolific bloominghabit, with flowers that appear in clusters of five to ten, blooms beingof single form with a diameter of about 6.4 to 7.6 cm and having palelilac centers bordered with rose-purple lobes.